Sand and air separator for artesian or driven wells



4 (No Modl.)

4 B. 1?. SMITH.

SAND AND AIR SBPARATOR FOR- ARTBSIAN OR DRIVEN WELLS. No. 545,026.Patented Aug. 20,1895.

FIG.2 FIGl FIG.6 .9 h c f?" JbiLFlGt y 1% f 4 9% r 1! lf WITNESSES: i0MNVENTO/r i0 ATTORNEY.

BENJAMIN F. SMITH, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SAND AND AIR SEPARATOR FOR ARTE SlAN oR DRIVEN WELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,026, dated August20, 1895. Application fil d December 10, 1894. Serial No. 531,360 (Nomodel.)

much larger proportion of air than lake or.

river water, and frequently contains sand or other earthy matter,especially when first used. These must be extracted or separated fromthe water before it passes through the pumps, particularly in city orother large Water-supplies where the head pumped against isconsiderable. Otherwise the air will cause thumping and the sand willcut and wear out the water end and the Valves of the pump, causingbreakdowns and necessitating constant repairs.

My invention is intended to obviate these difficulties by separating theair and sand from the water,-as will be described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation, andFig. 2 a rear elevation, of my sand and air separator for Artesian ordriven wells. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the center ofFigs. 2 and 4 on the lines X Y, showing the interior of the chamberpartially filled with water and the position of the deflectors. Fig. 4is a plan of the chamber with the cover removed and partly broken away,showing the interior of the chamber and arrangement of thedeflector-plates. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of one of thedeflector-plates, and Fig. 6 rear elevations of the otherdeflector-plates.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in the severalfigures.

The separator is an air-tight chamber and may be of any suitable form ormaterial, it being shown in the drawings as rectangular in form. Thischamber is provided exteriorly with an inlet-pipe as from the source ofsupply, but it may have two or more.

b b are outlets to the pump or pumps, which are not shown, and c c areremovable plugs.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it. will be seen that the first deflector dis V-shaped in form;

that it is secured within the chamber laterally thereof, with itsinterior angle opposing the central line of the inlet a, and that thedeflector proper is in length about two-thirds the width of the chamber.Passages are thus formed around it on all sides. The second and fourthdeflectors consist of plain plates ffandf'f, secured to the sides of thechamher in such manner that water or air can pass under, over, andbetween them. The third deflector e is a plain plate secured to the topwall of the chamber and extending downwardly between the deflectors fandf and opposite the spaces between the opposing edges of the plates ffandff', respectively. All the deflectors are provided with lugs g, by

means of which, and suitable securing devices, they are attached to thewalls of the chamber. The deflector e is cut away at its upper edge, asshown at h, to form a passage for air that may be deflected upwardly byit.

. The operation of the device is as follows: By inspection of Figs. 3and 4 it will be seen that the water, upon entering the chamber throughthe inlet-pipe a, strikes, the surface of the first deflector d, havingfree passage all around it. The air contained in the water is deflectedupwardly by the upper inclined surface of d, sand or heavy impuritiesbeing deflected downwardly by the lower face of d. After passing aroundd the water impinges upon the deflectors ff. These further tend to breakthe air-bubbles contained in the water and throw the current against 6.Passing around and underneath e, the water has to pass the deflectorsff, which deflect it toward the center of the chamber on the same levelas it entered at a, from whence it quietly passes to the outlets b b,which are placed considerably below the inlet-pipe a, this being done toprevent the access of air to the pump or pumps as long as any water iscoming from the source of supply.

By further inspection of Figs. 3 and 4 it will be seen that the airdeflected in the direction of the upwardly-pointed arrows either passesaround the deflector e or through the opening 77. in the upper end of cto the upper part of the chamber, from whence it is exhausted by avacuum-pump or connection with condenser in the usual manner and whichit is unnecessary to show. The sand IOU and other impurities take thedirection of the arrow pointing downwardly and settle at the bottom,whence they are removed when necessary by a siphon or other suitabledevice through one or both of the openings closed by the removable plugsc c. It will be seen that the water is not forced over either of thedeflectors at a higher level than it would naturally assume in comingfrom the inlet into the chamber.

Having described my invention, I claim- In a device for separating airand sand or other earthy material from water, the combination with anair tight chamber having inlet and outlet openings, of a V-shapeddeflector opposing the inlet opening and secured within

